Texas Rangers Radio
Joe SieglerI grew up in Philadelphia, and as a kid living in a town, I didn’t know much baseball outside of my own town. Hell, until I was 23 I never saw a baseball game anywhere except Veterans Stadium (which is being shut down next weekend – I’ll be going there from Garland, TX for that). To me, baseball has always been the voice of the Phillies (and to another extent, baseball). Listening to a game has always meant Harry Kalas’ voice.
When I moved to Texas in 1992, that meant I needed a new voice. I knew of the legends of broadcasting (Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell), but those guys were in the wrong town. So I started listening to Rangers baseball. I honestly forget who the radio team was in 1992 (might have been Brad Sham, I don’t remember). Anyway, I didn’t really get totally hooked until 1995 for some reason, and that’s the year that Eric Nadel became the “lead voice” of baseball for the Texas Rangers. Anyway, Brad Sham left after the 1997 season, and was replaced by Vince Cotroneo. At some point since 1998, Eric Nadel became one of those voices to me. I can’t tell you why, or what it was, but in my mind, he’s as equal as Harry Kalas is to me. I respect Scully & Harwell, but without hearing them for myself over time, I can’t really properly comment on them.
Vince Controneo was someone I can’t say I liked right away – but he definitely grew on me, and in the 6 or so years he’s been doing Ranger games, I have to say he and Eric have gained a nice rapport. It’s nice to listen to them talk about the game, and in the last year or so they’ve started calling each other partner. That may have happened earlier, but I didn’t notice it until recently. They’re a great team. Which brings me to the point of this entire blog entry…
Yesterday, the Rangers announced in one of those stupid bonehead moves taken from the Jerry Jones head coaching school of ownership the last several years that they were going to be looking at replacing the #2 voice on the radio (Cotroneo). Something about not having “passion” in the broadcast. Excuse me? What is that all about? Randy Galloway writes about this in today’s FTW paper, saying “Check the mound, Mr. Cramer. It ain’t about the radio booth. It’s about the pitching.” Randy’s totally right – there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the radio booth, and if there’s one thing that pisses off an already shrinking fanbase, it’s bonehead moves like this. They’re trying to fix something that doesn’t need fixing, just so they can say they did “something”. Fix Chan Ho Park’s pitching, first. Fix our crappy record on bringing good pitchers here. FRICKIN FIX THE BASEBALL TEAM – not the broadcast booth.
ARRRGH! I’m so irritated at this, I can’t express myself very well. It’s one of those things that to me totally defies logic, I don’t know how to say anything else except “Leave it alone – you’re looking in the wrong place to fix something, DAMMIT!”
Vince Controneo should not only be left in the booth, he should be given an extension. Now granted, I’m not naieve enough to think I know everything that’s going on – there may be some other things going on behind the scenes, but unless we’re told about them, I have to proceed on the stated reasons they gave, which are (excuse me) bullshit.
And while we’re at it, can we get Mike Cramer to stop showing up on the Jumbotron before games at the ballpark – he says he reads and replies to each email that is sent to him – that’s a lie, he does not reply to each one. Ask him why they’re building an office building in the middle of the parking lot (hey we’re finally getting the 8 year old developemnt around the ballpark with a friggin office building!) and see how much he replies to your email. I think we were better off with Jim Lites as president. Oh hell, bring back Tom Schieffer, it was WAY better back then. And we had red uniforms, too. Sigh.
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I’ve known Vinny Cotroneo since college and he was a self-promoting, pain in the rear then and now he is an egomaniac. We’ve communicated within the past year and knew each other well during college and afterwards. To show you what kind of a goof Vinny is he told a mutual acquaintence in Texas that he didn’t know me. Had no idea who I was. It was typical Vinny. His ego developed from being a MLB announcer has gotten out of hand. It was beneath him to remember anyone I suppose, although he had emailed me about six months before. Vinny was a lughead and I’m surprised he ever got an announcing job. Any team that hires that nincompoop is making a mistake. And kudos to Texas for having the good sense to severe their ties with him. He obviously pulled typical Vinny bonehead moves that rubbed people the wrong way.
After all, announcers just don’t get fired. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Vinny spends most of his waking hours sending in letters seemingly from others in support of himself. He once issued his own press release announcing that he had gotten his first job out of college. As I say, he’s goofy. Let him announce in the minors. Then I won’t remember him.
Maby we underestimated Won-Gon
I, too, am a long time Ranger fan. I couldn’t care less about other teams, but I wouldn’t miss a Ranger broadcast. I think this years team is the best all-round team we’ve ever had. The defense is exciting to watch, the offense is as good as it gets, and the pitching is unbelievable! How long has it been since we’ve been able to say that? I feel like this team will be able to astound all the other teams all the way to the World Series. They definately deserve to be in first place and I wouldn’t be surprised if they remain there till the end. They make the other teams look like bush league wannabes. What an exciting season this is going to be. I’ve always enjoyed Tom Grieve in the booth, but I wash he would make his new partner (Josh, I think)shut up once in a while. He talks so much we lose track of the game. Talk about overkill!!
Mitchell, you’re an idiot whose small mind and self serving ego is so frail that you lashed out at Vince Cotroneo with unfounded criticism, because he “didn’t remember you”. It sounds like you’re the type of person who is totally forgettable. It’s a shame you let your own failures in life dictate your opinion of someone who succeeded in the field of professional broadcasting, and rose to the major leagues, while you weren’t able to land a job. You see, Mitchell, I knew you both in college. You were and apparently still are a loser. Vince succeeded, and lived your dream job. Get over your jealousies, and leave Vince alone.
Vince Cotroneo was a consumate professional, an outstanding student of the game who was enjoyable to listen to, and unfortunately fell victim to the syndrome of the hiring of former players (or their sons), and not professionals who enable the listener to better understand and appreciate the game. Vince got a raw deal from the Rangers… and except for that moron Mitchell who was well hated at UCF by nearly everyone, Vince’s firing was viewed as a horrible move by the Rangers. What a shame the Internet allows jerks like Mitchell to tarnish the reputation of a person like Vince Cotroneo, because his feelings were hurt. Mitchell, you are pathetic.
–O. Werwath
I agree with O. Wewath. Mitchell’s comments are almost comical. Poor poor Mitchell… Vince didn’t remember him after he got famous. Hey Mitchell, I wonder why? Maybe because you’re a wannabe who “knew” Vince in college, and because you’re such a doofus, no one remembered you. Don’t blame Vince Catroneo because you’re a loser. That’s not his fault. It sounds like he was (and probably still is) successful. Too bad your career has just not materialized. I wish I knew you in college, it would have been fun watching you chase after the athletes (and broadcasters) because you had no talent of your own… and just want “to be remembered”.
Regarding the posting above from an alleged “O. Werwath,” let me assure any readers that no O. Werwath ever attended UCF and that Oscar Werwath was the founder of the Milwaukee School of Engineering and has been dead for nearly 30 years.
As an aside, I have been quite successful in my life and, even if an O. Werwath existed, he wouldn’t know me from Adam, let alone have a memory of me from college. Seems to me that O. Werwath has as sorry a life as the one he depicted in his posting.
I know where that Mitchell is coming from because too often people are affected by their supposed fame…
The guy says they know each other Stew, so it seems like a situation in which Catroneo pulled an ego trip. Probably didn’t want to acknowledge the college guy because the person knows negative things about him. We all know people who got seemingly insignificant promotions at work and whose heads swelled. Let it suffice to say that Vinny must have done something odd to get the axe; and then not get as much as a minor league announcing job. Where there’s smoke there’s fire! Eric’s great, but I don’t miss Vinny. Especially after reading about him!
The bad news about the world we live in today is that technology provides any pin head the forum to make inappropriate comments about people. I am sorry that Mitchell was not remembered by Vince. Although not speaking for Vince, I am not sure I would care to remember Mitchell either. GET A LIFE!!! Nonetheless, as a former UCF baseball player and broadcaster, I have a great deal of respect for Vince. As a non player he has studied the game and is fanatical in his preparation. Lastly, his success is no accident. He paid his dues to follow a dream. From Orlando, Tidewater, Tuscon, to where he is today OAKLAND!!! YEA BABY. Yes Vince you are not perfect, but you are one heck of a guy to the majority of people and had the guts unlike most people to follow a dream!!! ALL THE BEST.
I live in Tulsa,Oklahoma and have a hard time getting the Rangers on the radio. What is the nearest station and why aren’t there more stations on the Network?